Tag: transforming robot

Hasbro finally released another Transformers Masterpiece. This time the G1 Bumblebee. The Transformers Masterpiece Bumblebee Figure does an amazing job or capturing the robot from the cartoon. This line always does a nice job and that’s why I have been waiting for a Mirage figure for so long(I bet that figure is hung up in licensing issues) I found this bad boy at Toys R Us. Its nice they let them use the VW Bug for Bumblebee. I will probably pick up this one pretty soon. I have seen the Takara version on eBay for a bit, but I am always worried about picking up a shoddy Chinese bootleg. So the best way to make sure I get the real thing is to get it from Toys R Us.

Comparing this to the original release is just sad. The original G1 Bumblebee came in red and yellow, I actually really disliked that set of original mini vehicles. They looked cheap and poorly made. The design was crap. That’s why I never purchased any of them in the 80’s. As a character, I just hated Bumblebee too. He was so irritating. But now I guess he is just part of my nostalgia. If I get any Bumblebee figure its this one. I took the pictures a month or two ago, but have been too lazy or busy to post it. But here it is!

On the same visit also saw the Fortress Maximus from the Generations series which is just a huge 22″ figure, but it should be for $150. Since I am not planning to put up a post on it or buy it, here is a quick pic. Its actually a pretty cool robot. I would be pick it up if I had the space.

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When in Japan, you walk. A LOT. My feet hurt every day I was there. That is probably why people seem much thinner in Asia, everyone walks. I was only there for 5 days, so you kinda try to make the most of it. Lab was another electronics store within walking distance of the hotel. It had about the same stuff. But near the elevator was a wall of gashapon. Some of it was kind of hentai – ish. I did not know that was a thing. Anyway literally walls of gachapon machines. Dave was buying a certain line his sister liked. According to my cousin, this was a small collection of machines. I can’t imagine a large wall of machines. Lab Electronics is a good place to buy the latest greatest robot toys. They have the most popular hits but you will not find any obscure toys here.

The Combiner Computron was an interesting piece because the packaging looks just like the US packaging with Japanese characters. Shinkalion was in all the stores and it appears to be a very popular line of toys right now.

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The first stop on our robot hunt started at Bic Camera a consumer electronics retailer chain in Japan. We went to the Tokyo Ikebukuro location. They have a solid toy section. It’s like Best Buy if they had a toy department and the store was 7 stories high(If you look at the picture you can see what is on each floor if you can read Japanese. It seems like each building/floor has a directory before you even go in). It has a nice selection of the newer robots like Shinkalion, Sentai Doubutsu Zyuohger Cube robots(look like they are made of Legos), a few Soul of Chogokin, Transformers, Gundam figures and Gunpla, Kaiju and Sentai figures. Half of the stuff I have never seen before. They also had new versions of robots from older anime like Votoms, Macross, Kotetsu Jeeg, Getta Robo, and Z Mazinger which is more my style. They also had a line from the Tomica Hyper Rescue which is a part of the Tomica Town line. The robots transform into cars and combine into larger robots. So Super Cool stuff you can only find in Japan.

They also have a variety of other toys you would see in Japan(kids toys, video games, gashapon, Legos, girls toys, etc). Now how did we end up there? Dave wandered in on a previous trip since it was close to the hotel.

Mecha from Shinkalion the 700 Nozomi 07 and Hikari Railstar 08 by Takara Tomy in 2016 at Bic Camera

Here are the mecha from the Tomy Plarail line – Shinkalion the 700 and E3 series. They are bullet trains that transform into robots and are slotted for a Japan only release(My cousin Dave found this particularly appealing. I think he picked up all 4 of these). Looks like they started coming out in 2015. Tsubasa 05 & 06, Nozomi 07, and Hikari Railstar 08 by Takara Tomy in 2016. You can see a few videos on Shinkalion.com or more info in English on Animenewsnetwork here. If you want any of these, please pick them up from my Ebay links on the site! They help me keep my site running.

We also found these Tomica Hyper Series Next Stage robots White Hope & Sonic Interceptor Walker Vehicle. If I was going to start collecting a new line it would be this one(I like these a lot more than the Shinkalion robots, I am not really a fan of train robots). I am afraid these are also Japan only releases but I am sure you can pick them up on my Ebay links. Takara Tomy has the complete line here.

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Here’s another one I never had as a kid, Wreckgar – leader of the Junkbots of Junkion. He was first seen in Transformers The Movie and turns into a motorcycle. Seems like it was much more important for it to look like a motorcycle when it transformed than to look like the robot in the movie. The toy came out in 1986. By this time I wasn’t collecting Transformers. I did not really care for this character in the movie. But I picked it up a couple of years ago so I could complete the set of Generation 1 Transformers I actually wanted.

Wreckgar came out in 2010 Reveal the Shield which is far superior to the G1 release. And Target has a Exclusive version out right now Transformers Generations Platinum Edition Planet of Junk Clash that includes Hot Rod, Wreck-Gar, and Junkion Scrapheap figures which is pretty nice if you have $75 to shell out.

WreckGar 1986 Transformers Generation 1 Autobot Junkion

WreckGar from The Transformers: The Movie Leader of the robots from Junkion

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So coolest thing this year, Netflix and DreamWorks revamped Voltron. Can’t believe I missed this. So the same guys who made Kung Fu Panda and Shrek just put out Voltron Legendary Defender Netflix and just made my summer. To make it even better, the people working on the show Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos both worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Avatar being my favorite cartoon tv show of all time! If you have Netflix, you can find Voltron: Legendary Defender HERE.
I was not a fan of the original show, just the robots(For me the original anime lacked in production value, I hated the voice acting, and I did not care for the characters. So pretty much everything). But I actually like this show. It just came out June 10th.

Check out this fresh take on the old 80’s show. It’s something you actually can watch with your kids and relive your own childhood a little too. I have been waiting for a good robot anime to pop up since watching Gurren Lagann last year. Netflix just dropped 10 episodes 2 weeks ago. I have watched 3 and I am hooked! On to episode 4, catcha later…

So I am thinking, when do the toys come out?
Spring 2017 from Playmates Toys

Can’t wait! Guess this was more about the show than the merchandising. More on this later…

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Long time, no post. Its been over a month since my last on. When I found this at the local store and decided I just had to put it up.

Here is a knock off of a Bandai robot from the 90’s. Its the Jet Icarus from the tv show Chojin Sentai Jetman in 1991. The Hawk Overlord Polyfect Toys figure is only $7.99 at your local Tuesday Morning if they have them. It’s the cheapest way to pickup a Jet Icarus figure aside from getting a Soul of Hyper Figuration figure on Ebay. Otherwise a 8″ plastic 1990’s version will run you $140 – $200.

If you don’t mind a cheap plastic robot that does not have the quality of Bandai made product, it’s not bad. The store also had a “Change Robot” that was of even lesser quality. Now that was an ugly robot. I should probably put it up with the other bootlegs I have posted. Sometimes the uglier it is , the better it is to gawk at. Anyway, the Hawk Overlord looks pretty decent for what it is. Polyfect puts out a decent looking bootleg. It looks like one of the nicer robots from this line, like the Voltron and Constructicon knock offs they put out. Based on the instructions on the back, it looks like it actually transforms! I am tempted to pick one up for fun. I am curious to see how well they transform and get a closer look at the finish and quality.

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The MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo is one of my favorite Machine Robos. It is one of the most simple designs, simple transformations, the straight lines, with a red and silver color scheme and make a simple looking robot. There really is nothing special about this robot. But who doesn’t like a fire engine? I wanted to be a fireman when I was younger and I have always loved fire trucks since I was a kid. So this particular robot has a special place in my heart. This is a cool little robot in a line of cool robots from Popy. The only criticism I have is the gun seems like such an afterthought. In the robots hand or even on the ladders seems a bit lame. It is just too small. Using the ladder as a weapon/gun seems just as bad as well based on what I see on the Tonka packaging.

It’s too bad the Gobots cartoon was so bad. I have never been able to force myself to watch a whole episode. I wouldn’t mind a reintroduction of the Gobots in a modernized revamp(like they did with other 80’s franchises like V and Battlestar Galactica(maybe they can make a Gobots movie since Transformers has made so much money!)). Since Hasbro owns the rights when they picked up Tonka, it would be awesome if they brought them back in a stand alone series instead of part of the Transformers. So Fire Robo did some time as Pumper in Challenge of the Gobots back in 1983-1987.

More Machine Robos to come. They keep on coming. This is number 4? It’s because I have 25-30 of these robots. Sorry you are going to see more posts about these for a while. I found the box I stored them in so I will keep pumping out posts about these till I get bored or I am all done.

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Here is the MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo by Popy in 1982. I actually had this robot in the 1980’s when I went to Japan. I picked it up for 600 yen in a department store in Shinjuku. I traded all my Machine Robo figures to a friend, but I can’t remember what I traded for. I am really glad I managed to pick up another. The Jet Robo is a classic robot from this line. Easy to transform, looks good as a robot and ok as a futuristic jet, solid red, black and silver color scheme. For me this is just a fun robot to have.

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) made in 1982 by Popy/Bandai from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 known as Fitor

Does anyone know what this comic says? I am a little curious. I am sure it is mindless drivel, but fun mindless drivel or even amusing mindless drivel is what I am hoping for. I wish I knew someone who could read Japanese. Anyway, I have always loved the attention to detail in the packaging and other things that come with Japanese toys. The robot fits perfectly in the Styrofoam and is easy to take out and put away. The toy is easy to store, the instructions, stickers and catalog all come with this beautiful little toy. In fact I was almost as excited to get the catalog as I was to get the toy. I am sure I will never have a complete set of Machine Robos, but it is nice to see them all. I know I am probably raving on about these, but the Machine Robo line is possibly my favorite.

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Here is the MachineRobo MR-02 Battle Robo by Popy in 1982. I am on a roll. 2 posts in 2 days, WOO HOO! Anyway this is some sort of futuristic tank. In fact this robot is named Tank in the Challenge of the GoBots. One of Cy-Kill’s evil dumb henchmen. I don’t get it, how can a robot be stupid? Bad AI software, low processing speeds maybe?

I like the aesthetics of the tank and the robot, but I imagine it is a pretty high profile for a tank though. I noticed I was missing the smaller guns that are supposed to come out of the front of the tank, which kinda sucks. The Styrofoam was not meant for this little bugger, so the arms will not hold in place when transformed. The colors are nice, even though I have never seen a blue army tank in real life. I guess I should not look for any realism in children’s toys, but there is always hope. The transformation is as easy as it gets. You fold the head over so he is kissing his feet and put in the guns and the turret. This is another cool robot from the Machine Robo line.

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I have been meaning to put up my each of my Machine Robo since putting up a bulk post about them a couple of years ago. This is the MachineRobo MR-01 Bike Robo, the robot who became Cy-Kill in Tonka’s Challenge of the Gobots in 1983. The cartoon was not as compelling as the story of the Transformers. For me the story was pretty much crap. Which is sad, because the 3 inch robots in this line were superior to any of the small robots in the early Transformers line. It would have been nice to see another robot cartoon that gave the Transformers a run for its money in the eighties. I really wanted to like the cartoon, but it was unwatchable for me. Which is odd, because I was able to watch a lot of the crap Hanna Barbera put out. And I loved it. There also was an anime in Japan, Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos came out several years later 1988-1989 and showed the robots as human piloted mecha. I watched a little and it reminded me a bit of the Getta Robo anime.

These originally came out in 1982 in Japan as part of Popy’s Machine Robo line. Europe had them as Robo Machine and Australia had Machine Men. It’s a great concept. Matchbox sized vehicles that transform into robots.

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Japan Robot

I absolutely love the packaging for this toyline. Small boxes, robots in small Styrofoam cases, with tiny accessories, stickers, a catalog of other robots in the line, and a comic with instructions to transform the robot. I just picked this up in December. The Bike Robo tends to be a more expensive piece. At least more than I would like to pay. This may be due to being the primary villain in the Gobots cartoon. The transformation from robot to motorcycle is pretty solid. The Bike Robo looks pretty good as a robot or a motorcycle. This is one of the nicer robots in the line. The design and color scheme work very well. I think I actually had this one in the 1980’s but I traded it away to a friend.

The catalogs are one of my favorite parts of the toys. I love getting these and checking out the other robots Bandai put out. I have used them to figure out other robots to pick up or just check out other robots that never made it to the US.

Machine Robo Series Catalog 1983 Popy/Bandai Japan Robot MR 600 line

Motorcycle form Machine Robo(マシンロボ) MR-01 Bike Robo(バイクロボ) made in 1982 by Popy/Bandai in Japan Robot